Burger King's 'AI-written' ads show we're still very confused about artificial intelligence

Each of Burger King's new ads starts with an anachronistic burst of noise from a dial-up modem and a solemn warning: "This ad was created by artificial intelligence." Then, over shots of glistening burgers and balletic fries, a robotic-sounding narrator deploys exactly the sort of clunky grammar and conceptual malapropisms we expect from a dumb AI. "The chicken crossed the road to become a sandwich. Burger King encouraged the chicken," says the voice. In a press release, Burger King claims the videos are the work of a "new deep learning algorithm," but an article from AdAge makes it clear that humans -- not machines -- are responsible for the funnies. "Artificial intelligence is not a substitute for a great creative idea coming from a real person," Burger King's global head of brand marketing, Marcelo Pascoa, told the publication.